Shields Down
by imaginecreatebefall
Summary: During the battle of Mount Weather Lexa must make a decision; to lower her shield and listen to her heart for once and stand by the Clarke and the Sky People or continue to listen to her head as she was trained to do no matter what the sacrifice. (Clexa/One Shot)


_(Disclaimer: I do not own The 100 or its characters. I'm just a writer with an imagination)._

_**This is the last Clexa fic centered around the battle of Mount Weather I swear. Working on two others at the moment, one around the time of the missile attack, the other centered around Clarke's journey after she leaves Camp Jaha. What can I say, I'm really loving Clexa and The 100. There's a little more going on in this one than the others, it's partly of the battle itself and has a little more violence, but if you watch the show it should be nothing, also some smut and angst, so you've been warned. (One Shot)**_

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"No, you stay with Clarke, when the shooting stops, you get that door open," the Commander instructed Lincoln without a second thought. Lexa then sprang toward the ridge, not looking back as she did, she couldn't. Her feelings for Clarke were beginning to creep through. She needed the taste of blood to remind her of who she truly was, the Commander of the Grounders, heartless and vicious with a blade. A war was no place for an exposed heart.

The Grounders shielded Lexa as they darted for the ridge, one taking a shot in the shoulder, another in the leg, but they pushed on protecting her until they approached their enemy. As the Mountain Men came down on them, Lexa flicked her dagger straight into the head of the first man, springing her sword out as her knife was mid flight and tearing it from the soldier's head as his body still jerked about on the ground rushing passed him. Her people had waited a long time for this and she would give them all what they craved after years of suffering by the hands of the mountain; the fresh taste of blood.

The Grounders came at the Mountain Men like a tidal wave, smashing down on them with a vigorous force none could control, not giving their lives a second thought as the Mountain's soldiers choked on their own blood, no longer granted permission to breathe. To every Grounder that went down, ten Mountain Men followed, and with each slice through their heinous skin, Lexa's thirst increased. This is who she was; who they were; warriors. And with every raising hand asking for mercy she gave it to them as the Mountain Men had done to them for countless years, straight into their stomachs, relishing in the searing pain crawling from their eyes. They didn't deserve mercy.

The ridge was just about cleared when the last group of Mountain Men approached, their guns holsters and their hands up.

"Commander," the man in the middle cried out. Lexa eyed him as she called for her people to be on the lookout, suspecting a trap. "I've come to offer you a deal," he went on sending a fiery rage down her spine, but she kept quiet waiting for him to get closer until she could read his name, Emerson.

"Commander," he called out again, now only a few feet from her. Lexa's hand stayed steady on her blade, gripping it tightly, waiting for his next poisonous words. "There is no need for any more bloodshed," he went on, "if you call off your army, we will release all your people to you right now."

Lexa stared blankly at the solider, remembering what Clarke had told her about this particular man, "and what of the Sky people?"

"They aren't your people now are they?" Even with that, the decision was clear; a gift handed to her on a platter. Her people would be free, and no more lives would be lost. Yes, she craved vengeance, but how many more would have to die to obtain it, and would it ever be enough? Emerson continued to elaborate on what needed to be done to ensure that no other Grounder would ever be touched again as she glanced down catching a small speck of blonde hair behind the barricade. Clarke, this would free her as well. Anyone who entered Lexa's life immediately became a target to her enemies. She had lost everyone she had ever cared about. Taking the deal would be the smart option all around, it would make Clarke hate her, but in the end, the deal would save her people and the woman she loved.

Lexa met Emerson's eyes and nodded, his smirk of victory clawing at her heart.

"I was told how smart you were Commander and...," But Lexa's sword came up to quickly for him to even register what was happening as her blade shimmered in the moon light, slicing across his throat as the Grounders behind her pounced on Emerson's guards like hungry animals, devouring their life for their people.

"We don't make deals with the Mountain," she spat at Emerson's lifeless body. The decision not as clear as Lexa suspected. But her heart pushed her forward convincing her head this was the right choice. Lexa spun back around gazing out over her army as Lincoln and Clarke stepped out into the open.

"Attack," she heard Clarke cry, causing a small grin to tug at her lips. Clarke, leader of the Sky people, commanding her people, no, commanding their people into battle. She made the right decision, she said to herself again. People would fall, but this battle would only bring the Grounders and the Sky people closer, making a stronger united front.

Lexa lead her group back down to the battle crying out for more blood as they did. Lincoln, now in front began calling out orders to the Grounders, leading the charge toward the entrance with Clarke not far behind him. The Mountain Men came out guns blazing, the Grounders falling to their knees as the Sky People plowed the front row with their own bullets. The spray of gun fire taking the Mountain Men by surprise as the Grounders piled into the door, slicing them down with ease. Another group of Mountain Men came from the side, but Lexa had spotted them signaling for her people to advance on the surprise approach. Clarke turned just as one soldier came upon her and fell to the ground, but Lexa sprang over the barricade to her side while Clarke found her footing, their backs to each other as they rotated taking down more Mountain Men with each new turn.

Once their area was cleared, Lexa and Clarke made their way inside. The Grounders charged straight through, but Clarke halted Lexa and jerked her chin to the side doors. They began opening and clearing every room, the innocent hiding away would be locked in, but those charging them sealed their fate. One Mountain solider came up from behind Lexa, Clarke's eyes giving him away as she ducked while Clarke shot the man in the throat, the favor soon returned as Lexa stood up and pushed Clarke behind her as a bullet from the other direction lodged into her shoulder, her armor only doing so much, but her blade beat the next bullet, already launched into the air and into the soldier's chest pinning him to the wall.

"We make a good team," Clarke said with smile, but her grin vanished as quickly as it appeared as a bullet sliced the side of her leg. Lexa threw Clarke to the ground, stepping up and taking another bullet in the same shoulder as she let her dagger fly into the soldier's eye silencing him forever.

Lexa was furious as she spun around, ignoring her own wound as she knelt down to examine Clarke unaware of where the bullet went.

"I'm fine," Clarke barked as Lexa shook her emotions away.

"Then let's go," the Commander instructed getting Clarke off the floor, doing her best to keep her shield in front of her heart.

"Commander," Lincoln cried taking her attention away from her thoughts. "We found them."

"And my people?" Clarke urged.

Lincoln nodded tearing Clarke away from her side, quickly following him to where her people were being held. Lexa continued to clear the rooms as more Grounders came to her aid to keep their Commander safe, those who were captured being escorted out as they continued to clear every level of the contaminated mountain.

When Lexa came to the last room, Clarke was inside hugging her friends. Her smile growing as each of them tossed their arms around her, thanking her for rescuing them. It was done. The Grounders flooded the Mountain making sure to kill every solider in their path as Lexa made her way back outside alone. With the help of the Sky people, they defeated the Mountain and freed their people closing a long and interesting chapter as their leader.

Lincoln joined her soon after, giving her a nod that all was clear. The Commander called for the horn, ending the battle, her people cheering on as the sound of triumph echoed into the night. She stood there for a while waiting for everyone to leave, making sure no injured Grounder was left behind. As they began to retreat, Lexa stayed waiting a moment longer, but Clarke never resurfaced.

"Commander," Lincoln called from behind her.

"Go," she said knowing he wanted to find Octavia, most likely back inside with her brother and their friends. Unlike her, Lincoln was at home with the sky people. To Lexa, only one fit.

Lexa turned and made her way back to their camp with her guards close to her side. The war was over, as was everything else that came with it. But unlike Clarke, she had to think of tomorrow. Her role as Commander continued on and soon she would be faced with new challenges. She batted away the flutters in her heart wanting to look back and held her head high as they marched back to camp where she belonged to await a new day.

The guards stayed posted outside the Commander's tent as she walked in, the emptiness of it eating away at her immediately. She wasn't accustomed to being alone these last few days and didn't realize how much she craved another soul beside her until it was no longer there. Lexa stared blankly around the tent, not really knowing what to do next. The blood caked her face and her shoulder needed a healers touch from the gun shots, but she just stood there lost in uncertainty. It was easy in battle. She knew who she was out there, the Commander, a brutal warrior. But now, alone in her tent, her inner armor falling away, she was only Lexa, the incomplete young woman.

"Lexa," came a familiar voice from the folds of the tent, but her mind didn't believe it was real. "Lexa," the call came again, as a shadow cautiously stepped up to her side. Lexa's eyes fell to Clarke's leg seeing that it was cared for, but had been a rushed job. When her eyes came back up to Clarke's everything inside became clear, but her words stayed silent.

"Are you going to have someone take a look at your arm?" Lexa shook her head, not feeling any pain now that Clarke was by her side making the Sky girl grin. "Do you mind if I look at it then?" The Commander flashed a smile back as she gave Clarke a single nod with her eyes.

Clarke guided Lexa over to the bed and instructed her to sit as she got a wet cloth and some bandages. Their eyes locked as she came back over and reached up to unsnapped Lexa's armor. Her shoulder finally letting out a sharp sting as the pressure holding it down released, but Lexa paid no attention to it, she just stayed focused on Clarke. There was more truth bleeding from their eyes now than left on the battle field. Their thoughts, their desires, their shields coming down for the other to see, knowing that even though they had won the war, once they slipped back out through the folds of the tent, the would need to sheath them back up. They were both leaders now and just as Lexa had shown; Clarke needed to maintain her new role to continue protecting her people.

Lexa watched as Clarke cut away her shirt, not wanting her to lift up her arms and irritate the wound any more than it already was. More care and softness seeped through Clarke's hands as she cleaned out the wound with delicate precision, her fingers grazing down Lexa's arm as she did sending shivers throughout her body canceling out any pain.

"Why is it that I'm always fixing your shoulder?" Clarke asked, but Lexa still had no words as her head tilted to meet Clarke's gaze offering her a faint smirk. They've only known each other for a few weeks, but had been through so much in that time; it was like they had been fighting side by side for years. "Are you ok?" Clarke pressed on as she started to wrap up her arm.

"Why aren't you with your people?" Lexa managed in a whisper.

Clarke kept her hands on the wrappings as she stared through the Commander. Lexa's breath caught as it had so many times before in Clarke's powerful presence, her eyes too saying more than any words she could ever say. Clarke then, brought her mouth down to the side of her shoulder away from the bullet wound and pressed a kiss to her arm, "Because they aren't the ones that need me now."

The war was over, the mountain had been defeated and Lexa had used her head for the most part while in battle, but now she was in her tent with her shields down, her heart exposed, and as Clarke pressed another kiss to her shoulder she closed her eyes increasing the feeling Clarke imprinted on her arm, absorbing it through her skin and into her heart, letting herself fully feel for the first time in years.

When Clarke pulled away Lexa's heart reached back, her eyes giving away her hopeless words.

"I'm just getting some clean water," Clarke said stepping out of the tent for a moment. Lexa held her breath waiting for her return, afraid some emergency would take Clarke away from her, but that was no longer the case and her warming presence returned before anymore negative thoughts could invade Lexa's mind. Clarke was here, with her. The war was over, her people returned, yet she chose to spend the night of celebration alone in the Commanders tent.

Lexa watched as Clarke placed the bucket of water down on the table so she could remove her warn out jacket, then pulled her hair back revealing a younger, gentler looking woman, but her eyes remained the same. They were innocent yet aged beyond her years, soft yet unyielding, questioning yet determined. Lexa kept quiet and watched as Clarke brushed a cloth down the back of her neck, taking in the soft moans of her aching body as she cracked her neck from one side to another, wiping away the war that had been placed unapologetically on her shoulders. Clarke was stronger than she ever gave herself credit for and Lexa was proud to witness it firsthand.

Clarke rung out the cloth and made her way over to the bed, letting out a soft laugh as she did, "You could at least take off your gloves."

Lexa glanced down then back up into Clarke's eyes as she removed another protective layer of her armor, tossing them to the side without a second thought. Clarke then knelt down and took Lexa's hands to wipe them down, turning them over carefully, appreciating the rough callously warrior hands with such slender feminine fingers as she cleaned them. When Clarke glanced up, she caught Lexa examining her every move and smiled before going back over to dip the cloth into the bucket again. As Clarke reproached the bed, she stood over Lexa glancing down at her all-telling eyes. The Commander's gaze never good at shielding her feelings away and no longer needed to; yet she still caught Clarke off guard for once with so much being said through a simple look causing the blonde's breath to hitch.

Clarke swallowed hard as she brought her free hand up to lift Lexa's chin, carefully bringing the cloth down to her cheeks. The coated face of battle fighting back, but Clarke took her time holding Lexa's face with steady care as she wiped away the Mountain for good. Clarke rung out the cloth once more, determined to remove the lingering memory of a time she wanted to push into the past for good, so all her unanswered questions these last few weeks could finally be unveiled. Clarke brushed back the crazed curls of Lexa's hair trying to interfere with the cleaned up beauty before her, falling deeper into Lexa's loving gaze. Lexa wanted nothing more than to take Clarke as their eyes remained glued, but knew she had to be the one to initiate things this time. Clarke knew her feelings, where Lexa's heart lined. It was time for Clarke to finally lower her shield.

Clarke's fingers continued to brush back Lexa's hairs from her face, the strong Commander feeling a nervous buildup in her stomach as Clarke gaze answered her questions before tracing her fingers down Lexa's cheeks and cupping her face. They stayed like that for a while, just staring into the other, erasing all the uncertainties from earlier, finally understanding who the other was and accepting it, because their lives, their desires, their hopes now intertwined. Clarke took control lifting Lexa's head until their lips finally met. She took Lexa's upper lip first, both waiting for reality to shake away the dream, neither one believing this could actually be happening, but as their mouths pressed on the dream fluttered away. There was no more hesitation, both their shields were tossed away with the war and now they were free to be together. There was no one calling for their aid, accept one another. They were home.

Clarke straddled Lexa; her body hovering over her as she deepened the kiss, keeping Lexa's face in her grasp while Lexa brought her hands up to Clarke's back grazing it before digging her nails into her to pull Clarke closer. Both their hands burrowed into the other, neither one still believing this was real as the intensity to be close turned into a tug-o-war ending with Clarke bucking into Lexa throwing them back down on the bed. Lexa may have let her shield down, but she wasn't about to yield completely to Clarke and with the momentum of the fall rolled over until she was now on top.

Lexa snagged Clarke's arms and threw them up over her head, pinning them there as her breathing caught up to what was happening. Lexa scanned Clarke's face, her eyes hungry, her mouth parting calling for her return, their breaths now matching knowing they had enough air between the two of them to go on, reviving the other if necessary until their new thirst was answered. Lexa loosened her grip on Clarke's wrist as she brought her mouth back down to hers. They took their time with each kiss, savoring the other's lips as if this moment would be their first and last together, wanting to memorize every taste and texture of the other. Lexa withdrew Clarke's wrist, but racked her nails down her inner arms causing a few jerks and moans to fall from Clarke's lips. Lexa would feel every inch of the sky leader before the night was done and once the Commander made a decision on something it was final.

Lexa continued clawing down Clarke's body glancing up momentarily to make sure no lines were crossed. Clarke's blues turned a deep black only encouraging Lexa to go on, digging her nails up under Clarke's shirt and throwing it up over her body bothered that it was still on her to begin with, followed quickly by her bra. Clarke leaned down asking for her, but only received a small morsel before Lexa made her way back down her body, admiring Clarke's taunt nipples. She twirled her tongue around one as her hand massaged under the other, switching after a minute to show equal care before venturing further down Clarke's body. Lexa's long fingers taking their time as they danced across Clarke's waist before finding their way to her legs opening them as she kept their eyes locked for another moment.

Lexa had a habit of lecturing Clarke on the ways of war and leadership, but was never good at expressing her heart. Now was her chance, to show Clarke how she felt, letting her eyes and actions tell more than any words she could conjure, before a new day came upon them, separating them, not knowing when they would come together again. Lexa's fingers scraped up and down Clarke's inner thighs, smirking at the chills that jumped out. She continued to watch Clarke as she lowered her mouth, memorizing the way her body arched, recording the moans and whimpers of encouragement that came only growing as one then two fingers slipped in without much effort. Lexa sank her mouth down, enjoying the victory of her heart as she worked until she silenced Clarke's words from her mouth.

As Lexa crawled back up to Clarke she stayed on her side, perched up on her elbow, again memorizing Clarke's every move until her blues warmed over the lustful darkness and met hers. Lexa sank down and wrapped her arm around Clarke pulling her into her. She brushed back the hairs stuck to her face to gently place a chaste kiss to her cheek. Regardless of their leadership roles outside the tent, Lexa began to feel like they had all the time in the world to continue this dance, but for now, all she wanted was to keep Clarke close to her and experience a restful night sleep she hadn't had in years.

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Lexa was anything but rested when she opened her eyes the next morning though. She rolled away from the warmth under her smiling away the headache echoing inside her for a fraction of a second before she realized the warmth beside her came from the burning unattended shoulder wound she received during battle on the ridge before she came face to face with Emerson. She sat up scolding down at her pillow caked in blood and war paint that was never removed, before glancing around at her scattered pieces of armor tossed to the side of her tent from her shielded victory. The bitter taste in her mouth matching her pounding head from the night before as she recalled the foolish dream that was so life like, adding to the disgust building up in her stomach, realizing now that Clarke would never kiss her like that again.

Lexa stood up cursing the sounds of victory outside. She had made a decision last night and as much as her head told her it was the right one, her heart abandoned her, ashamed of her choice, forcing her to see a vision last night that would never come true. The Commander had won, her people returned with minimum casualties, but by Lexa refusing to lower her shield per the Commander within her, she made a deal with an enemy costing her everything she desired most.

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_**Sorry about the end. I couldn't help myself. I've read a lot of angst lately and decided I've written too many happy endings. **_


End file.
